Pre-game hijinks (in which certain death and the effectiveness of coffee were considered)

Traffic and adrenaline

I guess it’s official; The “Event” has begun! My son, Ethan, from Vermont, dropped me off at BDL for my flight to ATL around noon yesterday. Everything went well, efficiently and on time. No problems other than the weirdness of Hartford’s traffic pattern. I had some time at the airport and also had a Stella and chatted with the fireball bartender who I swear must have played Red Bull and Death Metal before his shift. She owned her space, voraciously. I want to imagine her name was Rosalita, like in the Springsteen song.

As I prepared to board, my mind fully focused on the adventure ahead, I became distracted and took note of the pettiness and silliness of airline boarding protocols. I’m not going to rant, but suffice it to say that the different «line» and «group» designations are irritating and stupid.

I’m going to die

But that’s not the strangest thing. The strange thing is that the flight hit severe turbulence as we approached to within a couple hundred miles of ATL. It required that the seat belts be properly adjusted. On the first hit, I lost my AWOL guide and hit the ceiling. I guess most normal people would feel scared. I’m basically normal and that’s why I felt scared. Additionally, I have a friend who has to dose himself with Lorazepam before any flight to alleviate an inherent panic, a panic that is justified when you consider the fact that you are flying through the air in an inescapable metal tube at 500 knots, while distracted by a purse-sized bag of stale pretzels made in Bayonne.

Anyway, this crowd decided to ignore their collective mortality and cheer instead. So for each of the approximately 15 air pockets, also known as Dooms, that we hit, the passengers screamed. Some even raised their arms like they were at Six Flags. It was very strange.

Rain and aftershock

But we landed safely, people applauded and we disembarked. I got my luggage back and Mary picked me up at More shuttles. I highly recommend this set. Very easy process. Mary is charming and a fun conversationalist, and I think the prices were right in the area. For two ferries, the first from ATL to Dahlonega and the second from Dahlonega to the Springer trailhead on FS 42, the cost was $250.

Mary picked me up in ATL and we drove 2 hours to Dahlonega, navigating through an Ark-worthy torrential downpour. I stay in it Hikers Hostel/Barefoot Establishment north of the city. The first night was in a nice, if spartan, bunk, but this morning I received a surprise call from Sharon, the general manager, offering to stay in a much larger cabin as a free upgrade. I guess there’s no reason other than my natural charm. Sweet. And civilized. So that’s where I’ll sleep tonight.

Glory had green hair Grinch

I’ve written about food before, but I love the aspect of the Trail where we can eat quite freely. So, taking this to heart, this morning I headed to Waffle House, which is simply a must do. mom, of Mom’s Taxi Service He drove me back and forth and told me stories about Dahlonega being the center of the first gold rush. The locals call them «pepitas.» And today panoramic work is still being carried out. Who knew? Use mom to get around if you visit here.

So at Waffle House, the staff knows what «about medium» means, they’re extremely cheerful, they understand the delicate nuances of hash browns, some of their ‘twos’ are in primary colors, and they all have names like Destiny, Faith, and Felicity. I like the adjacency to theology. It makes me smile.

After a few cups of coffee, I headed out to explore the greater Dahlonega area. I drank even more coffee at a small café where I was eavesdropping on a Christian apologist trying to assuage the existential fear of a beautiful blonde lady. Then I visited a $2 store in search of a breakfast before starting for tomorrow. This was a successful search. I found a Pandoro Choco Mini cake. Best dollar ever spent on 370 calories of walk-enhancing goodness. Then I found out it was around noon, so I visited Pueblo’s for lunch with a fajita and maybe a Margarita.

Now I wait. Mary will pick me up tomorrow morning and everything will begin. Like walking and things like that. We’ve been texting back and forth working on coffee logistics strategies since there are no places to stop along the way. Lihat juga cxv6. I made the statement, «I don’t understand people who don’t understand coffee.» She understood this clearly. IYKYK.

I endure the anticipation of the beginning. I’m excited. I’m ready. We’ll talk to you in a few days. If all goes well I should be in Stanimals by Wednesday morning and travel to Hiawassee for Spam.

Thanks for reading.

YAWP

Nor’Easter

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.